Light Sensitivity and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis and bright light may not mix. A rare bright and sunny day here on the edge of Europe and I’m just now realizing that the place I’ve chosen to place my desk looks directly into the afternoon sun. It brought to mind several warning labels on meds I once took which indicated “sun sensitivity” or “light sensitivity”.

A quick search around the web found several medications which I still have in the medicine locker that no longer carry said warning labels. I had to wonder if it was just my pharmacy that was no longer listing this side-effect (though I know which I have to take with food or milk, which I should use care when operating machinery, and the list goes on).

There are aspects of the disease MS that can cause sensitivity to sun having to do with optic neuritis and migraine. Most of the references I found had to do with medications; usually symptom management meds, but some disease modifying medications as well.

Seems odd that we are encouraged to get our twenty minutes of vitamin D via the sun every day (when possible) but at the same time, drugs we take that might help us actually get out into the sun may make us sensitive to it.

I cannot say that I recall having any adverse reaction to sunlight or that I felt particularly sensitive to it when taking the aforementioned drugs. I quite frankly don’t know if it was sensitivity in the eyes or the skin or what was purported to be so hyper reactive to that all to odd ball in my sky.

How about you? Have you had issues with sun sensitivity? Have you too noticed that the warning labels for this have gone away on your Rx bottles? In case some other folks are not aware of meds that may cause said sensitivity; how about you list those that you have on your shelf which warn about light/sun?

My list came from a search of articles by the NMSS. While not 100 percent relevant, over 160 links were listed. How about we talk about the sun while I go out and bag my limit for the day?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trevis Gleason

Trevis L. Gleason is a food journalist and published author, an award-winning chef and culinary instructor who has taught at institutions such as Cornell University, New England Culinary Institute and...read more